


My Heart's an Autoclave

by ArthurtheGatekeeper



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: After the Mountain Breakup, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Touching, Geralt/Jaskier is background cause Post mountain breakup, Height Differences, Inspired by a Mountain Goats Song, Little Spark is Valdo's favorite nickname for Jaskier and as it should be for everyone, M/M, Soft Valdo, Song Lyrics, Valdo ships it, but also he's going to hit Geralt with a chair next time they meet, cuddling in a piano room, is the height of romance and yall will never convince me otherwise, wow that's a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27561466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArthurtheGatekeeper/pseuds/ArthurtheGatekeeper
Summary: Jaskier returns to Oxenfurt after the mountain with a few new songs.Valdo checks up on him.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion/Valdo Marx
Comments: 12
Kudos: 184





	My Heart's an Autoclave

**Author's Note:**

> The song here is Autoclave by The Mountain Goats. Might I recommend listening to it while you read?

_“I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam_  
_And no one in his right mind would make my home his home_

Someone collided with his back as he left the stage area, wrapping their arms around his neck.

“Between Her Sweet Kiss and that other song it sounds like you’ve had one hell of a breakup.” Valdo laughed into his ear as he dragged them both away. The smaller man’s feet just barely dragging on the floor behind them. His voice dropped low enough no one else could hear. “And you swapped the pronouns in the third chorus. Be more careful.”

“Noted now leave me alone.” He shook him half-heartedly trying to dislodge him.

“ _Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name._ ” Valdo sang into his ears instead.

“You do not have permission to sing my song.”

“Come on we both know why you came back to Oxenfurt looking like a kicked puppy.”

“Not a puppy.” Too old for that. He felt too old for that.

“Okay you don’t want to talk about your soulmate-”

“Stop fucking calling him that.” He demanded in a voice that was more of a plea that broke in the middle as he hauled them into a music room. Collapsing on the piano bench. Valdo clicked the door closed behind them.

“Come on just tell me what happened. I mean I got most of it from the song. The Witch swooped in and caused chaos, as she is want to do, and you got left behind because he’s a great muse and a terrible friend.”

“You’re a terrible friend.”

“Oh! I’m back up to being a friend and not a cursed wretch of a botchling only fit as a meal for necrophages?” His head rested on the piano’s fallboard. Valdo leaned judgingly against the door. 

“I stand by what I said.”

He hummed his song. _I dreamt that I was perched atop a throne of human skulls, On a cliff above the ocean, howling wind and shrieking seagulls._

“Did you ever tell him about Essi?”

His eyes grew hot. The tingle of tears building behind his nose. Presenting the option to cry or sneeze.

“Catching a cold?” Geralt had asked.

“You clearly didn’t listen to the song.” His voice wobbled.

“I heard it just fine.”

“No you didn’t - _You ought to head for the exits, the sooner the better_.”

Valdo was quiet.

Then his lap was full of bard. Valdo’s head tucked into his shoulder. One arm wrapped around him. Clothes ruffled by the wiggling he’d had to do to achieve the task.

The other hand found his and wove their fingers together. His nose nuzzling his neck and jaw until his head was raised enough Valdo could see his eyes under the sweep of his hair.

“I heard you just fine Little Spark.” His forehead pressed against his. _“Hand me your hand. Let me look in your eyes.”_

He choked out a sob. “You don’t know shit Valdo.”

_“When I try to open up to you I get completely lost_  
_Houses swallowed by the earth, windows thick with frost_  
_And I reach deep down within, but the pathways twist and turn_  
_And there’s no light anywhere, and nothing left to burn”_

__“Please stop.”_ _

___“And I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam And no one in her right mind would make my home her home”_ _ _

__“Leave.”_ _

__“I love you Little Spark.”_ _

__“If you knew me you wouldn’t love me.”_ _

__“You don’t get to decide that Buttercup.”_ _

__“I’m. I’m like the ocean. I’m big and pretty and people think they like me but i’m not actually the ocean- I’m the giant beast at the bottom of it swallowing everything and drawing people in with my tides only to drown them and-”_ _

__“I understand.”_ _

___If you understood you wouldn’t be here._ _ _

__His arms wrapped around Valdo all the same. _I am the tides drawing you to misery and death.__ _

__Like he'd drawn Geralt to misery and pain._ _

__“Poppet would smack some sense into you right now. Tell you were an idiot and that you were lucky she was so used to your dramatics.”_ _

__“Then do it you coward.” His voice clogged with snot as hot tears raced down his face._ _

__“Not really my style.” Valdo’s thumb rubbed small circles on his hand. “I could rail you until you forgot what sadness was or we could go get wasted instead.” He suggested. Voice soft. Without heat or judgement._ _

__“Can we just. Stay here. For a little longer?”_ _

__“Course.” He shifted in his lap. “But maybe we can move? My back hurts.”_ _

__“Yeah.” He said. “Okay.” He confirmed as Valdo rearranged them. “Thanks.”_ _

__“Not a problem my little spark.” He assured, curling around him._ _

__“I’m bigger than you.” He objected._ _

__“I know. That’s not what it means.”_ _

___You are my little spark of hope. And I will protect you when you burn low._ _ _

___If there is no light left let me be your kindling. Let me help you find the way._ _ _


End file.
